Building on an Island: What You Need to Know

Building a home on an island is a dream for many—but the logistics can quickly turn into a nightmare if you’re not prepared. From transporting materials by barge to dealing with unpredictable weather, island construction presents unique challenges. As a timber frame subcontractor specializing in complex builds, Carolina Timberworks recently completed an island project, and we’re sharing what we learned to help you plan your own remote build.

Why Building on an Island is Different Than the Mainland

At first glance, building a home on an island may seem similar to any other construction project. But in reality, every aspect—from materials to labor to scheduling—requires a different level of planning. Here’s what makes timber frame construction uniquely challenging on an island:

1. Every Stick, Brick, and Person Arrives by Barge

On the mainland, materials roll right off a truck and onto the job site. On an island? Not so much. Every single piece—timbers, nails, tools, even lunch—must be carefully staged, loaded, and ferried across the water. That means no last-minute hardware store runs, no quick resupplies, and no margin for error. The logistics resemble a military operation, requiring precision, planning, and a team that understands the stakes.

2. Forget Something? Prepare for Costly Delays

On a typical job site, a miscut timber or a forgotten handful of ¾” white oak pegs might cost you a day. On an island, that same mistake could set you back a week. There’s no quick trip to the supplier—every extra run across the water depends on barge schedules, tides, and availability, all of which are beyond your control. In remote construction, small problems don’t stay small for long.

3. Rain, Tides, and Isolation Demand Next-Level Logistics

On an island, nature calls the shots. Tides dictate when barges can run. Rain stalls work, but the crew is still on the clock. A passing storm can upend the schedule, while a broken-down barge can ripple delays across the entire project. It takes a certain mindset to thrive in conditions where predictability is a luxury.

4. Food and Lodging: More than Just a Place to Sleep

Getting materials across the water is only part of the challenge—you also have to get the crew there and make sure they’re taken care of. Lodging is rarely luxurious, but it needs to be comfortable enough for a team working long, physically demanding days.

And then there’s food. When the nearest grocery store is miles (and a boat ride) away, you don’t just “grab something” after work. That’s where having a crew member like Tommy makes all the difference. A former restaurant owner, he took charge of meals—wearing gloves, using a thermometer, and treating dinner prep with the same level of care and precision as a timber frame layout. One night, he put together a classic Low Country boil—shrimp, potatoes, corn, and sausage—the kind of meal that makes the challenges of building in a remote location a little more enjoyable, and a lot more memorable.

Why Timber Frames Are Ideal for Island Homes

1. Speed: Faster Assembly, Less Time on Site

On an island, every extra day of construction adds logistical headaches and costs. Timber framing changes the equation. Instead of cutting and fitting each piece on-site, the entire structure is precision-cut in our shop using state-of-the-art CNC machinery. When the timbers arrive, they’re ready to go—slotted together like a giant puzzle by the same crew that fabricated them. What takes months with conventional framing can often be completed in weeks, minimizing time, risk, and weather exposure.

2. Strength: Built to Withstand Nature’s Fury

Island homes don’t just need to be beautiful—they need to be strong. Timber frames are engineered to handle the extreme: hurricane-force winds, heavy storms, and the relentless coastal climate. The interlocking joinery and massive timbers create a structure that is as durable as it is stunning, standing firm where lighter, conventionally framed homes might flex or fail.

3. Timelessness: Built to Last—and Loved for Generations

Timber framing isn’t a trend—it’s a building tradition that has been relied upon for over two thousand years. Long before mass-produced lumber and steel-framed glass boxes, people built with heavy timbers because they worked. These homes don’t just stand the test of time structurally; they endure because people love them. Timber-framed homes are cherished, maintained, and restored rather than torn down for something new. Their warmth, character, and craftsmanship make them worth preserving—whether on an island or anywhere else.

4. Less Waste, More Efficiency

On the mainland, construction waste is an afterthought—just toss it in the dumpster and schedule a pickup. On an island, every scrap of excess material has to be barged back off, turning waste disposal into a costly logistical challenge. Because we pre-cut every timber in our shop, there’s almost zero job-site waste. Fewer cutoffs, no piles of unusable material, and no need for expensive, hard-to-schedule dumpster hauls.

Considering Building on an Island? Here’s What to Know

Island construction isn’t for the faint of heart, but with the right team, it’s absolutely possible. If you’re considering a timber frame home in a remote location, the most important decision you’ll make is choosing experienced professionals who understand the unique challenges involved.

At Carolina Timberworks, we specialize in tackling complex builds—whether on an island, in the mountains, or anywhere that demands more than just the ordinary. Want to talk about your project? Get in touch with us.

Related

• A Primer on Timber Frame Construction
• Timber Frame Truss Ideas
• How to Interview a Timber Frame Company

The post How to Build a Home on an Island: Challenges, Solutions, and Lessons Learned appeared first on Carolina Timberworks.

We can’t all be sexy. Sometimes it’s about getting the heavy lifting done. Safely, efficiently, and without damaging the timber. Our new Combilift does that in spades. It has all the power and lift of an old fashioned forklift, but without all the drama—less work stoppage while the load goes past, fewer pieces of equipment and operators to bring in the long and heavy loads, less gagging on the fumes and shouting over the noise..

And at the end of the workday it’s recharging quietly in the corner, getting ready to work its little butt off again tomorrow.

The post Our New Combilift: The Strong, Silent Type appeared first on Carolina Timberworks.

Put another way, we do build timber frames, but we don’t build houses. (That’s what general contractors and builders do.)

Carolina Timberworks is a North Carolina-based timber frame subcontractor, meaning we specialize in:

• Timber frame design
• Timber frame engineering
• Timber frame fabrication
• Timber frame installation

In short, we handle everything having to do with the timber framing portion of the building. Typically, we work for the general contractor or builder, in close collaboration with the architect and engineer(s).

If that sounds like exactly what you need, then we’re extra happy you found us. Let us introduce ourselves, share what we do, and explain how our timber frame construction process usually works.

What is Timber Frame Construction?

Timber frame construction is a method that dates back nearly 2,000 years, and we think it’s still as relevant and beautiful as ever. A traditional timber frame uses wood-to-wood joinery (no nails, screws, bolts, or metal plates), creating structures that are gorgeous, sustainable, and incredibly durable.

Timber frame buildings range from classic barns to custom homes to places we work. At Carolina Timberworks, we partner with architects and builders to integrate timber framing into your home construction project.

How Do You Choose the Right Timber Frame Builder or Subcontractor?

Finding the right builder or timber frame subcontractor isn’t always easy. Some companies are cost-efficient but less than great with communication. Others get behind schedule or lack clarity about their scope of work.

After 20+ years in business, we’ve seen how easy it is to approach this role the wrong way. That’s why we provide detailed written proposals, weekly progress reports, stick to the schedule, and even clean up at the end of the day—in addition to designing, engineering, fabricating, and installing timber frame structures.

We have plenty of tips on how to interview a timber frame company because we think it’s essential to find the right partner. (By the way, every one of these tips also applies to choosing a builder.) Here are some areas we think are most important.

Experience

If it’s their first rodeo, you’re putting a lot at risk. Ideally, you’ll want to find a builder or timber frame subcontractor who has been in business at least 15 years. That’s long enough for the marketplace (and recessions) to have weeded out the bad people and bad business models.

It’s also long enough for the company to have made (and learned from) their mistakes. That’s a big part of how companies learn to build better buildings (and timber frames) while also ending up with happy customers.

Fifteen years is enough time to have built a (good or bad) reputation, a portfolio of finished work, and a whole bunch of customers, to whom you can pose the single-most important question: What was it like to work with this company, and would you tell me some stories?

As a general rule, the larger and more challenging the project, the more experience you’ll want. Carolina Timberworks has been in business for 20+ years and we’re looking for your challenging, difficult, big, and/or time-critical project.

Reputation

Another important consideration is the builder or timber frame subcontractor’s reputation. Here’s the problem: unlike Amazon, no one in the building industry puts bad reviews on their website.

Start by looking for testimonials on the builder or timber framer’s website. Even if they’re all positive reviews, what patterns can you see? Then, re-read them, looking for what people don’t say.

It can be helpful to check online reviews. Naturally, the quality and content of the review matters, but if you only see five-star ratings, be skeptical.

Every homeowner knows this, but you’d be surprised at how few actually take the time to ask for references, and then call them. You’re about to get married to a builder and his or her subcontractors for a year or more.

Once you’ve made a choice to work with a particular builder or subcontractor, pause. Don’t fall in love just yet. Ask for references. And call them.

Quality

Does the builder or timber frame subcontractor’s work meet or exceed your quality expectations? Is it built to last?

Here’s the problem.

You’re undoubtedly very good at what you do for a living, but if you’re like most people, you don’t really know what makes one house better than another, or higher performance, or longer lasting. Or for that matter, what makes one timber frame company’s joinery better or worse than another’s.

Here at Carolina Timberworks, we live by the saying, “When you buy quality, you only cry once.” We’re committed to delivering a quality timber frame that’s built to last for generations.

We’re equally committed to making the process enjoyable. If you don’t think that’s important, you might want to ask someone who has been through an unenjoyable building process to tell you some stories.

Our Timber Frame Building Process

Our timber frame process begins with a dream—yours. We start with a conversation (sometimes several) to see if we’re a good fit. If it seems like a potential partnership, we’ll move on to discussing details.

From there, you can expect things like a scope of work, a budget, a timeline, and a contract. Then the fun really begins as we proceed with the 3D model, timber frame engineering, and shop drawings before placing the timber order.

Interested in more details? We invite you to explore the steps of our timber frame process.

What Cost Considerations Come with Timber Frame Construction?

No one has ever told us “money is no object.” But over the last 20+ years we’ve had a few clients who’ve quietly explained that “time is more important than money.” But make no mistake, cost is always a part of the decision.

In any building project, timber framed or not, four primary variables will determine the cost. They should be thoroughly understood, discussed and agreed in advance:

• Scope
• Cost
• Time
• Quality

Once the scope is defined, you then need to pick two of the time, cost, and quality variables.

Rules of Thumb

Rules of thumb are (almost) always wrong. They can, however, be useful in the very early phases of a construction project. For example, during the design process, you’ll be asked by your architect or design professional about your budget. He or she will then use historical data and rules of thumb to guide the resulting design.

Once design is complete, you’ll probably ask a local builder what it costs per square foot to build in a certain neighborhood, town, or county. A good builder (or timber framer) won’t answer right away without asking you some questions about your project—i.e., do you have plans, when do you plan to build, what’s the property like, etc. But eventually you’ll probably receive an answer in the form of a range, which can be useful.

An Estimate Is Just an Educated Guess

Be very careful. It is impossible to accurately estimate the cost of a building project until it has been completely designed, engineered, and detailed specifications written.

Nor is an accurate cost possible until all site-specific considerations are determined (e.g., land clearing, road, utilities, access, steepness, etc.).

Garbage In, Garbage Out

It’s wonderful when everything goes according to plan. However, if the plans you paid for are just pretty drawings, things might not go well. For one, it’s impossible for a builder (or timber framer) to accurately estimate the cost without good plans.

A good set of building plans specifies in great detail exactly how your builder (and subs) will build everything—from the number and size of rebar in the footers to the species, grade and texture of your timber framed great room.

Yes, good plans cost more. But every problem your builder encounters is going to get solved, eventually. In our experience, it’s a whole lot less expensive to figure them out in advance during the design process than it is on-site when you’re paying people to stop work and figure out what to do.

Cost Plus vs. Fixed Price

In the simplest terms (we’re not lawyers):

A fixed price contract is exactly what it sounds like: the contract is for a fixed dollar amount.

In a fixed price contract, the builder (or timber frame subcontractor) bears most of the financial risk because he or she has agreed to build the project for a fixed price.

A cost plus contract is one where the builder adds a percentage for overhead and profit to the actual cost of building the project.

In a cost plus contract, the owner bears most of the financial risk because the owner agrees to pay whatever the actual costs turn out to be (plus a percentage), regardless of the initial estimate (see garbage in, garbage out above).

We’re all guilty of ignoring the following advice, but you should ask a qualified business law attorney to review the contract before you sign it. Most of the time it’s a waste of time and a relatively small amount of your money. Every once in a while, it’ll save you from a financial and emotional train wreck.

Next Steps for Finding the Right Timber Frame Builders or Subcontractors

Have we scared you away from building? If not, are you thinking about incorporating timber framing into your project? We’d be very happy to talk with you. Contact us and tell us a little about what you have in mind, or call us at 828-266-9663. We’re nice!

Press play and step into the world of timber framing

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What’s so ideal about a barn home? There’s something about the drama of the open interior space and the coziness of the barn structure.

In recent years, timber framing has become increasingly popular in barn homes. We might be a little biased, but it’s easy to see why. Known as “cathedrals on the prairie,” timber frame barns are both majestic and familiar—a wonderful concept to inspire a living space.

What Are Timber Frame Barn Homes?

These structures incorporate traditional timber frame building methods into a barn-style home. At Carolina Timberworks, we build them with heavy timber and wood-to-wood joinery, using timber frame trusses and pegged mortise and tenon joints.

Although they offer plenty of room for customization, most timber frame barn homes feature open-concept floor plans with large interior spaces and plenty of room for entertaining.

How Can You Build a Timber Frame Barn Home?

If you truly love the concept of an antique barn, you might like the idea of reclaiming one of these structures and turning it into a home. This option is a nice way to preserve a piece of history while turning it into a usable space.

The only catch is that this approach requires finding, purchasing, and moving an antique barn. In the past, we’ve purchased antique barns for this purpose. But as you might imagine, supply is running short, and they’re increasingly difficult to find.

Building New Barn Homes

Fortunately, reclaiming old barns isn’t your only option for a timber frame barn home. It’s far more common for these homes to be new construction, using traditional building methods.

Why Build a Barn Home?

To begin, we happen to think barns are special (click here to read why).

Barns are the original multi-purpose structures. The open floor plans offer lots of space and flexibility for customization with both wide-open and tucked away spaces. Why compromise? Start a list. Bedroom(s), living room, kitchen and bathrooms–check. Workshop? Garage for your antique truck collection? Entertainment? Gym? Office? Guest bedroom suite? Game room? Basketball court (yes, it’s been done). Instead of building several buildings, build a timber frame barn home that efficiently houses everything under one roof.

The benefits of building new include substantially improved energy efficiency, as timber frame barn homes are often wrapped in a blanket of high-performance SIPs (structural insulated panels). These panels are delivered to your site pre-cut (including all door and window openings), are labeled, and go up fast (meaning you can be in the dry in days, not weeks). Later, sheetrock or wood paneling is applied to the interior walls, and the exterior can be anything you’d like (siding, wood, stone, etc.).

Assuming your building site permits orienting one roof slope facing south, the typical large barn roof shape is ideal for solar panels. Timber framing also happens to be one of the most sustainable building methods available for residential construction (and we even make our timber frames with renewable energy).

The future-proof nature of timber frame barns make them an attractive option. They’re certainly durable structures (probably because they’re loved and useful, and possibly because the simple roof shapes are less likely to leak). The open floor plans in barn homes permit reconfiguration to accommodate different stages of life. And of course, barns have a timeless and enduring appeal that has outlived quite a few other architectural styles over the past thousand or so years…

Want to learn more about the timber elements that make barn homes unique? Check out our Timber Frame Glossary for insights into key timber framing terms.

Traditional Barn Homes

We’d argue that traditional barn homes appeal to our connection with the past. Maybe we’re consciously or unconsciously re-creating something we experienced in our childhood or travels. Or perhaps it’s just the way a traditional barn home just “fits” certain pieces of property and naturally blend with, and compliment, the setting.

Modern Barn Homes

Building new also gives you significantly more opportunities for customization and the option to create a more contemporary aesthetic. Curious how a modern barn home might look?

Above, you can see a glimpse of the clean lines, open spaces, and modern finishes you can expect in this kind of space.

How Can I Build a Timber Barn Home?

We’re glad you asked. In our guide to timber frame barns, we’ve answered many of the questions that homeowners ask about building a barn, including:

• How much will it cost?
• Should I hire an architect?
• How long will it take to build?

If this is the first time you’re considering a timber frame project, you might have questions about that process, too. We’ve answered a lot of them in our homeowner guide, which we like to call What to Expect When You’re Expecting a Timber Frame.

If you’d prefer to talk with our team or if you’d like to discuss a project in North Carolina or beyond, we’d be more than happy to do so. Send us an email or call us at 828-266-9663 – we’re nice!

These timber frames don’t just offer shelter, they tell stories

The post Timber Frame Barn Homes appeared first on Carolina Timberworks.

A big timber frame barn out of oak really does show off what timber framing is all about.

Within the confines of a 5 minute video, the essence of a timber frame raising: the bent assembly, the manhandling and futzing to fit up, the excitement of the first bent going vertical. Dropping the posts over the hardware. Pulling timbers together and that audible/visible jolt when they finally fit together.

The mud.

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Hand hewn beams

or: putting old wood back to work

What are hand hewn beams?

A builder who purchased reclaimed wood trusses for his client asked if we’d send some information on the original source of old hand hewn beams.

He acknowledged we probably wouldn’t know exactly which building or where the beams came from. But he wanted to know some general information—the approximate age of the reclaimed hand hewn beams; what they might have originally been used for; what some of the original holes and joinery were for; and anything else that might be of interest to his clients.

where do your antique beams come from?

From painstakingly dismantled barns that have weathered many storms (both literal and economic) but reached the end of their useful life.

why would somebody sell their old barn?

Usually because the nature of farming has changed and the old barn layout (think posts in the way, haylofts, milking parlor) doesn’t work as well as a wide-open metal pole barn building on a concrete slab. Other times the barn hasn’t been used (or maintained) for years and a hard winter delivers a coup de grâce.

Occasionally the family farm is sold to a developer, or the heirs don’t have any sentimental connection to the barn and simply want to maximize the value. Tragically, not many years ago, these old barns were burned or scrapped. Today, thanks to television and social media, people are more aware of the value.

how old are the barns?

If the reclaimed beams are hand hewn, it’s a good bet that the barn was built before sawmills–from the mid-1700s to the mid to late 1800s. That makes the barn from 170 to 270 years old, with the average reclaimed barn about 220 years old.

okay, so how old is the wood?

The trees for the barn were cut down from forests that had never been logged. Known as old-growth, virgin, or first-growth forest, these were forests that had grown for centuries undisturbed by axes or saws (fire is another story). A typical tree would have been from 200 to 400 years old. Assuming an average of 300 years at time of felling, the tree began life as a seedling 520 years ago (circa 1502).

why not just hew new wood beams?

It can look contrived. It’s been said that the look is a bit like cultured stone: good from afar, but far from good.

how did the old-timers do it?

what was the original purpose of the holes and joinery in my antique wood beams?

If the barn was timber framed (here’s the difference between timber frame and post and beam if you’re curious), your reclaimed beams will likely contain rectangular holes (mortises) and round peg holes similar to those shown above.

Timber framed structures were (and still are) connected using traditional pegged mortise and tenon joinery–meaning without nails, bolts, or metal plates.

So the the mortise holes and other joinery you’re seeing are evidence that your beams were recovered from an antique timber frame (often an old barn).

If your reclaimed wood beams don’t contain any joinery, it’s likely they came from an industrial post and beam structure (usually a factory or mill, but occasionally a WWII era military building).

By the way, we do not fill or patch mortise holes in reclaimed beams. It just doesn’t seem right to cover up examples of historical pre-industrial craftsmanship that was cut by hand.

Here in our North Carolina timber frame shop, we never tire of looking at old joinery; guessing what piece of the antique structure we’re looking at (was it a post, a plate, a rafter, or something else); and marveling at the work it took to cut joinery by hand. It’s also a fine way to fall asleep on a Sunday afternoon…

did you ever find out where the builder’s hand hewn beams came from?

We got lucky.

The owner of the barn had only one picture that survived:

As it turns out this barn was not only erected once but erected twice and has been passed down through the family since the 1850s when it was originally erected. Within a few years of the barn being built, the railroad came through the valley and basically told the family their barn was in the way and they were taking it.

They were given a 3 month notice to vacate the property and remove all the livestock.  Anything that remained after the 3 month window would be burnt down to make way for the railroad. They received a $300 payout for the barn, land, and the house.

Given that the barn was only a few years old, the family elected to move the barn! They disassembled it piece by piece from the roof down, transported all the material about 5 miles away via horse and cart and then began to rebuild it in a new location.

Unfortunately, the customer couldn’t give me the exact location where the barn originally sat. Apparently his grandfather had developed Alzheimer’s before his passing and the story had changed several times over the years.

The current owner opted to sell the barn because he is in the armed forces and primarily staged overseas. He was quite proud of the legacy that followed along with the barn and said it gave him a “great peace of mind” knowing that the “heart of the barn” would continue to live on with somebody else.

WHAT WE BUILT

(4) 18′-6″ architect-designed non-structural King Post trusses using traditional hand-cut pegged mortise & tenon joinery.

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For nearly two decades, Carolina Timberworks has pursued sustainable building practices. Today, our passion for contributing to a sustainable future only continues to grow.

Curious why we’re so invested and what this pursuit means to us? Let’s talk sustainability.

What Is Sustainability? 

In a nutshell, sustainability is the concept that we can meet the needs of the current generation without compromising future ones. It’s a big idea that spans economic, social, and environmental concepts. But there’s one common goal: to maintain a healthy world for all living things for generations to come.

What Are the 3 Pillars of Sustainability? 

To understand how we’re working toward a sustainable future, it’s helpful to know the three pillars of this concept:

• Environmental sustainability involves practices like reducing waste, decreasing harmful emissions, and using cleaner energy sources. For this concept to work, we have to use natural renewable resources (like timber) at a rate where the forests can replenish themselves while still being harvested for raw materials.
• Social sustainability refers to the (positive and negative) impacts a business has on people. At a minimum, a business impacts the lives of its employees and their families. Questions we ask: Are we doing right by our employees? Are we providing them options and opportunities? How about our neighbors? Our community? Our children?
• Economic sustainability is about the business making a profit in the long-term– without causing social or environmental problems.

Why Is Sustainability Important?

Sustainability isn’t just about us. It’s important for building a future that works for everyone.

But at the same time, it is about us.

Since timber is a natural resource that’s critical to Carolina Timberworks, we take environmental sustainability seriously. We strive to design and build long-lasting timber frame structures while remaining mindful of natural resources.

How Can Building Be More Sustainable?

As the global population continues to grow, more people need more places to live—which means it’s essential to make structures and construction processes greener. Watch this video to see how the way we build can be part of the climate change solution.  

Here are a few of our ideas for making building more sustainable:

• Design structures for minimal energy use. Begin by designing smaller structures that are better insulated, with better windows, and high-efficiency appliances and heat pumps. Then, produce as much of the building’s energy use as possible on site using solar or wind. Incorporate sustainable and renewable building materials like new or reclaimed timber and mass timber. Reduce the use of materials like concrete and steel that have a high embodied energy content. Finally, consider that remodeling an existing home, or adaptive reuse of an existing building, has a much lower embodied carbon footprint than building from scratch.
• Increase the lifespan of buildings. Neither demolition nor new construction is particularly environmentally friendly. Good design can help with overcoming these challenges. How? Houses that are loved are maintained. Houses that are maintained can last a very long time (with care, timber frame structures can, and do, last for generations). And one more thing: large roof overhangs provide shade you’ll enjoy and protect your siding and walls from the effects of wind, rain, and sun.

• The Not-So-Big House. Build a smaller but better house for the same money. Reduce the square footage, and put the savings into better design, materials, and craftsmanship. In 2006, Sarah Susanka spoke at a Timber Framers Guild conference in Roanoke and we’ve been believers ever since.

We aim to make the timber frame structures we build more sustainable—from the materials to the lifespan. But you may be asking yourself if timber framing is sustainable. Our answer? Wood is the world’s most environmentally-friendly building material.

How Can We All Live More Sustainable Lives?

We think it’s important for everyone to do their part. That’s why we made the decision to add solar panels to the roof of our timber frame shop in West Jefferson, North Carolina. And you know what? It wasn’t that hard.

We’ll continue to do our part to make building more sustainable in North Carolina and beyond, and we plan to keep learning and evolving our practices. We intend to be part of the solution.

Want to see what timber framing is all about?

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Construction (and operation of buildings) has a dirty secret: together they account for nearly half of the U.S. fossil fuel emissions. The good news is that there is a vast amount of room for improvement, and building with mass timber can be part of the solution.

The post It’s called trees. appeared first on Carolina Timberworks.

Maybe the world of cheap and abundant energy is gradually coming to an end. Maybe it isn’t. But every extra kilowatt-hour from the sun fed into the grid is one fewer created by burning coal or natural gas.

According to data from the Labor Department, on average, monthly electricity prices rose 13% in 2022 from a year earlier and 6% in the first 11 months of 2023.

The average cost of solar power declined almost 90% between 2009 and 2023, according to the Wall Street Journal in their Nov. 27, 2023 article, Now for Some Good News About Climate.

At Carolina Timberworks, we’re passionate about the idea that changes in how we build can be a major part of the solution to climate change, including our commitment to re-using salvaged timber in our timber frame structures. And one of our customers recently commented: “So, now you’re building a product from a renewable resource, with renewable energy. Well done.”  

The post This wasn’t that hard. appeared first on Carolina Timberworks.

What is Timber Frame Construction?

What separates timber frame construction from other building methods? Timber framing doesn’t use concrete, metal, or mass-produced commodity pieces of lumber. Instead, timber frame structures are built with large, exposed timbers and wood-to-wood joinery.

The timber frame construction process starts with a design customized to meet the client’s plan, needs, and budget. After engineering the timber frame, timber is ordered, and detailed piece drawings are created, which our timber framers and/or CNC machine use to measure and cut each timber to exact specification.

Finally, we send all the pre-cut timber, hardware, and specialized timber framing tools to the building site. That’s where our crew will raise the timber frame and sometimes install the 2×6 tongue and groove roof decking and structural insulated panels (SIPs).

Timber Frame vs. Post and Beam Construction

Although it’s similar to timber framing, post and beam construction has some key differences. Both use posts (vertical timbers), beams (horizontal timbers), however, post and beam structures often use glulams, or structurally engineered laminated timber, while most classic timber frame structures use solid wood.

Additionally, post and beam construction often incorporates metal plates and other metal hardware. In contrast, timber frame construction utilizes traditional wood-to-wood joinery (often mortise & tenon) held together by stout wooden pegs.

Timber Frame vs. Log Cabin Construction

Timber frames are not a type of log home. That said, some log homes do incorporate timber framing–think timber frame roof trusses and/or front entries. The difference between a log home and a timber frame is how they’re built and the way they look. Log home walls are constructed from horizontally stacked logs (think of the Lincoln Logs you played with as a child).

Log home walls look unmistakably like log homes. It’s a rustic look, but in the right setting, it just seems to fit.

Unlike log homes, timber frame (and post and beam) buildings are built with large horizontal beams and vertical posts to create a structural framework (think of the Erector or Tinker Toy set you played with as a child).

While log homes almost have a “preferred habitat”, timber frame and post and beam homes are great at blending in. The exterior of a timber frame home is indistinguishable from a conventional home–so it can be brick, or siding, or stone. Once inside, the gorgeous timber frame structure is revealed, and the interior walls can be anything you’d like them to be–from sheetrock, to brick, to painted nickel gap shiplap paneling.

Timber Frame vs. Conventional Construction

Unlike timber framing, conventional construction requires load-bearing walls and relies on nails to connect small pieces of lumber (think 2x4s). Conventionally built structures also use spray foam or batt fiberglass insulation instead of the high performance SIPs that typically enclose a full timber frame structure. 

What is the History of Timber Frame Construction?

Hardly a new type of construction, timber framing has existed for millennia. Over the centuries, skilled craftsmen have constructed barns, homes, inns, businesses, and even massive factories using timber framing in areas as far flung as England and Japan.

In the United States, timber frame construction experienced a decline late in the 19th century. With the invention of mass-produced nails, steam-powered sawmills, and the demand for more housing (as the population pushed west) came conventional balloon framing, which was later superseded by platform framing (pictured above).

However, a 20th-century revival brought timber framing back to the forefront. Today, there’s a growing demand for this building method, thanks primarily to the visual appeal of timber framing, but also due to the passionate and dedicated men and women who practice and grow the craft.

What Are the Benefits of Timber Frame Construction?

There are so many reasons to appreciate timber framing. Here are some of the biggest benefits:

Aesthetic Appeal

A timber frame is more than a mere structure. It’s also an experience. The exposed wood framework evokes a sense of being close to nature, eliciting on some level a secure, grounded feeling (after all, you can see exactly what is holding up the roof and walls).

Many timber frame owners also enjoy the varied ceiling heights, long diagonal views, and wide open spaces these structure provide, as there’s often no need for load-bearing interior partition walls. 

Sustainability

Wood is the only renewable building resources we have. Think about that. Everything else depends on using up something. While necessary, concrete, steel, and plastics require huge amounts of energy (and resulting CO2 emissions) to make. And unlike 2x4s or particleboard, at the end of the building’s life, nobody is going to throw the timbers from a timber frame into a dumpster. Wood, if kept dry, will last centuries, and the new timbers from your timber frame will one day become tomorrow’s prized antique timber and almost certainly salvaged and reused for other projects—making timber framing highly sustainable.

Durability

Timber frame structures are known for their ability to withstand snow, wind, storms, and other severe weather. That’s because the joinery and timber sizes are designed for the loads (take time to thank an engineer’s mother) and because of another one of wood’s wonderful characteristics: elasticity. Just like people, wood bends and gives a bit under load.

Finally, since timber frame buildings are often loved, they’re usually well-maintained, and houses that are maintained can (and do) endure for centuries.

Versatility

Timber frame structures work beautifully in either residential or commercial settings—and they can easily be multi-purpose structures. For example, you can use a timber frame barn for equipment storage most of the time, pull out the New Holland baler and that pile of barn boards you’re going to get around to cleaning up one of these days, and transform it into a wedding venue anytime your best friend decides to get hitched (again).

What Can You Build With Timber Frame Construction?

From custom homes and barns to gazebos and pavilions, we’ve got quite a few ideas for timber frame projects:

• Businesses: More and more businesses are timber framed because they make really nice places to work, and visit.
• Gazebos and Pavilions: Ideal for anything from hosting parties to relaxing with the family, gazebos and pavilions make being outside even better.
• Barns: Whether you need a space to house animals, store equipment, or entertain guests, a timber frame barn is a beautiful and versatile space.
• Carport: A timber frame carport can be much more than a shelter for your vehicles. In nice weather, it can also double as an outdoor entertainment pavilion.
• Want More Ideas? A collection of cool timber frame dreams and ideas that are still stuck on paper…

Do you have a timber frame project in mind in North Carolina or somewhere else in the United States? Browse our portfolio to see more examples of our work or contact us to talk about your design idea. We’re nice!

See timber framing like you’ve never seen it before

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